Establishment of the University Sunday School

We have established in this city a Sunday school that is known as the University Sunday school. We secured accommodations for the school in the Latter-day Saints' University . The school, however, is open to all those who come into our city to attend our institutions of learning, who do not belong, directly to the ward in which they reside while in Salt Lake City. We are informed that there are a few who are now attending our institutions of learning that do not attend this Sunday school. We ask you, my brethren and sisters, when you go home, to see the parents of those attending schools in this city, and ask them to write to their children requesting them to attend the Sunday school and the university; and if these parents will also address a letter to Supt. Milton Bennion, he will see that they are visited and labored with and that an effort is made to get them to attend the University Sunday school. Of course, it is intended that those who attend school at the State University and other institutions, whether they are of our faith or not, shall be made' perfectly welcome. We shall be glad to have them come, and feel certain that they will be benefited by so doing. ¶

Some time ago a Sunday School History was issued. It contained an account of the doings of our Sunday schools for the first fifty years of their existence in these valleys. It was proposed as we had a number on hand that these histories be sent around to the different stakes pro rata, and that they should pay for them. All the stakes have now received their quota but two. We have still outstanding on this account about $1,300, and we would like to have the stake superintendents see to it, when they return to their homes, that these accounts are settled and the proceeds forwarded to our office. ¶

We are distributing to the Sunday schools, this season, last years' volume of the Juvenile Instructor. This, of course, is free. Most of the stakes have received their portion of these volumes but we have learned that there are one or two stakes that have not distributed them to their respective schools. Now, brethren, we would like to have them distributed to the schools. They are bound, as you are aware, and we want the schools to have the benefit of them, as there are many things in them that will be of advantage to the schools. We would like to have the superintendents of those stakes who have not yet received these books call on our business manager, Brother T. C. Griggs, and get them, or make arrangements for their delivery. ¶

The Sunday School Treatise, as you are no doubt aware, recommends that, in opening the schools on Sunday morning, you have roll-call, singing, prayer, then singing again, after which the minutes are to be read. Application has been made to the Board to change this, on the ground that the Sacrament can be more properly administered after the singing of an appropriate hymn than immediately following the reading of the minutes or the giving out of notices. Some of the superintendents feel that it would be better, after the morning prayer, to give out the notices and read the minutes, and then, after singing again, to administer the Sacrament. Now, the Deseret Sunday School Union Board has no objection to this change, where desired by any of the schools. ¶

Some' of the Stake Sunday School authorities have sent to the Union Board, for literature, stating that they would see that it was paid for. The literature, has been sent, and some of the stakes are still owing considerable for the same. We need money badly just at present, and would be glad if you would close up these accounts. Let us have the means that you have in your hands, and then sell what literature you have left on hand and remit to us for that also. ¶

We have been trying, as a Sunday School Union Board, to introduce into our schools better methods, and to get, if possible, teachers that have had more training. Now some have imbibed the idea that no one should teach in the Sunday School that is not a graduate from an institution of learning. We want to correct this. ¶

Thirty years ago, next October, the first Sunday School statistical report was sent in to the Sunday School authorities. We then numbered, all told, 14,007 souls, if my memory serves me correctly. You have heard, this evening, that we have in the fifty organized stakes of Zion, seven hundred and sixteen Sunday Schools. Several of these schools number hundreds of pupils. One, at least, numbers nearly 1,200. Some of them have a membership of over six hundred, and many have five hundred. The work is growing very fast. People who do not travel through the stakes of Zion cannot understand how we are increasing; but, perhaps, you will be able to form some idea of the scope of country these seven hundred and sixteen schools cover when I tell you that the distance from the farthest Sunday School in the North to the farthest in the South is nearly as great as that from Salt Lake City to Buffalo, New York. We are spreading out; we are increasing in a wonderful manner, but not as fast as we might. There is one reason why we are not increasing as fast as we might; I do not want to say much about it, but I want to give it as my opinion, that if some of our young men would marry, we would increase a little faster. It has been my privilege to travel among some of the missions, and I find that about seventy-five per cent of the missionaries are not married; but most of them ought to be. There is something else I want to tell you: In the fifty organized stakes of Zion there are some wards that have over sixty marriageable young women that have no chance to marry because the young men are not willing. This is all wrong, and it is not a healthy condition. I would like to say to every young man that can marry, it is your privilege to get married, and give the girls a chance to get married also. In one of these wards I spoke to a young woman who is over thirty-two years of age, and asked her why she did not marry. Her reply was, "If you will send in some good Latter-day Saint young men, there will be no trouble about the young women marrying." There is another reason why our Sunday schools are not increasing as fast as they might. Quite a proportion of our Sunday school population are not identified with us yet. Most of these are boys, and we should look after those who are not in the Sunday school and take a deep interest in their welfare. ¶

To go back to my subject again, I want to say that the increase in our Sunday schools during these last 30 years has not been brought about by college-bred men; therefore, my brethren and sisters, those of you who have not graduated from some institution of learning need not be discouraged. In saying this, do not think for a moment that we do not uphold education. We want everybody educated; but it is wrong to think that a person cannot teach in a Sunday school except he has a first class education. What is wanted in every Sunday school teacher is a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and a knowledge of the Gospel and a love for God's work, coupled with the ability to impart that knowledge and infuse that love in others. ¶

I pray God to bless the Sunday school interests, and to bless you, my brethren and sisters, so that, from the far north to the far south we shall keep spreading out and organizing new Sunday schools, and keep making Latter-day Saints of our boys and girls, that they may become men and women after God's own heart. I ask it in the name, of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

Elder George Hamlin recited a beautiful little poem, entitled, "The Combatant." «6 ASST. SUPT. JOS. M. TANNER. ¶

It must have been very gratifying tonight to all present, when Secretary Pyper read the report of our Sunday schools. There has been indeed a very remarkable increase. You will notice that the increase is largely in the number of teachers, and I am pleased to say that our Sabbath schools now have enlisted in their work some of the best and most devoted talent in the Church. Many of our young men and young women, who have taken time and means to educate themselves, are today loyally ■supporting, by their aid and instruction, the great Sabbath school work. This increase in the number of our young people in the schools, in my judgment, is not the most important report that we have to make to you tonight. Those who are familiar with the work generally of the Sunday schools throughout the Church, know very well that there has been a very wonderful improvement in the character of the instructions given; that greater skill and better methods have been brought into our Sunday schools, and, in very many instances, they have been quite revolutionized. ¶

It is also gratifying to note, this evening, that we have in this work the co-operation and sympathy of the presiding authorities; the presidents of the Stakes and Bishops are proud of their schools; they are enthusiastic regarding every improvement that is made, and, altogether, we have great occasion for rejoicing tonight. ¶

Perhaps some of you noticed, some time ago, an item in the Deseret News, that a Sunday school worker, not of our faith, from the state of Ohio, was attending a Sunday school convention in the city of Washington, and that he declared there that the "Mormon" Sunday schools were the best in the world. That was indeed a compliment, and I have no doubt but that it was deserved. Yet there are still opportunities for improvement. ¶

I desire to call your attention tonight to a subject that I believe is one worthy the consideration of the authorities of the Church, and especially of the Sunday schools. That is the question of our amusements. I am associat ed with the Church schools, and the question of the religious education of our young people comes to me from that source, as well as from the Sunday schools. In visiting these schools I have had occasion to ask the principals what, in their judgment, was the greatest obstacle today to our school work, and the very general answer has been that there is too much dancing. I want to say to you tonight that where our young people are out to a dance once or more every week, it has a tendency to demoralize them, in a religious and in an intellectual sense. It is not only the time that is devoted to it, but it is the excitement that precedes and follows it that is so harmful to our school work. In some places it becomes absolutely necessary to regulate the attendance of our students in the dances and require that they get the permit of the principal before they attended any balls. Only a year or two ago I was riding through Salt Lake City in company with some of the leaders of the National Education Association. They were considering Salt Lake City as a suitable place for some future convention of that great body of educators. As we were passing the Salt Lake Theater it was pointed out, and one of these national educators took occasion to remark that President Young was indeed a man of great foresight and wisdom, whatever people might think of his religious belief. Said he, he (President Young) recognized that pleasure enters into the life of man, and he proposed, as far as he could, to guide the whole man. The physical man, the man in quest of pleasure, as well as the man devoted to religion and worship. And, said he, the man that today can control the amusements of the people and restrict them in their excessive pleasure, and can make their amusements proper and suitable, must certainly be a great benefactor to his fellow-men. I take it that these words are very true. Indeed, I realize that it is possible for the amusement-maker in all communities to undo much of the good that is accomplished in the Sunday school by turning our children loose to excessive pleasures. It has a tendency to demoralize them; it makes them seekers after pleasure rather than 97 after the love of God and after knowledge and information; and it is to be hoped that our Sunday school officers will, as far as they can, control the amusements of the children. We want to enter into their entire lives; we want them to feel that we are interested in all that they do, that we are with them in the schoolroom, that we are with them in the dance, in the concert, and in all those necessary and nroper amusements which our young people ought to have; and we ought to guard, on the other hand, against a spirit of excessiveness. It would he gratifying, indeed, if the spirit of the Sunday school could control in the ballroom as it controls in the meeting house or schoolroom. We would be glad if those men whose example is before the children in the classes could be with them occasionally in the ballroom, that there might always be some representative of these school workers and officers at all the amusements. Let us control the lives of our young people in their entirety. Let us not surrender the pleasures to the professional amusement makers, but let us see to it that our children are under our control in all the affairs of life. I want to say to you tonight that when ever you go into a community that is given to excessive pleasure, having dances once, twice, and sometimes three and four nights a week, you may depend upon it that they have not a first class Sunday school. We have discovered that our Church schools are worse off in those communities where there is no restriction placed upon the amusements, and the young people go at will. I take it that this is something worthy the consideration of our people. Years ago our amusements were controlled more than they are today, and the dances and amusements were opened by prayer. That was the good oldfashioned custom among us. I want to say to you that if we can start our young people out in the ballroom under the spirit and influence of devotion to their God, after having listened to a short prayer, they are not so likely to be guilty of that giddiness, and, ofttimes, impropriety that characterizes some of our dances. We ought to look after the dress of our young people, also. We are not seeking the fashions of the world; we are a sober God-fearing people, devoted to our religion. We need recreation, but only as a matter of relaxation. We must not be controlled wholly by the spirit of pleasure. ■ Let us control our amusements and keep them subject to the influences of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and then if the amusements are within the keeping of the religious organizations of the Church in the various wards, we will gather to us into the Sabbath Schools a great many young men that are very indifferent today. If they find that the Sabbath School and other organizations are controlling all the life of the people, the pleasures as well as the devotions of the young, then they will be brought under that influence, and it will only be a question of time before there will be created in their hearts a love for the Sabbath School. ¶

God bless you, my brethren and sisters. Let us rejoice in the work that we are doing, and let us remember also that there are matters that need our attention, and that it is our duty to go on and improve. God bless the officers of our Sunday Schools, these men and women who are teachers, who are devoting, unconsciously, perhaps, their lives for the blessing of the youth of Zion, who are some day to be the glory of God, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶